Valleyclan { Roleplay }

[TogepiIsSmol]

- Forms, rules, and all information are in Valleyclan { Discussions & Forms } thread! -

discussions & forms - rules & credits - info & lore - characters - current story arch

A clan tucked away in the vast Canadian wilderness, Valleyclan, is known only distantly for its hardy cats and mysterious aura. The only clan for miles in any directions they have evolved to life in the harsh seasons and constant dangers of the seemingly endless wilderness. From bands of rogues, to the weather itself, Valleyclan has pushed through it all only to have it all threaten to fall before them.

A freezing wind lashes at all it can reach, and the terrified sounds of cats beyond the blizzard is all that can be heard. The presence of a cat can be felt as the ominous words begin;"beware the whispers of cold and ice, as it is a predator of all. Plant, prey, and predator will all be consumed, destroyed but what cannot be seen." A dream, a message, a prophecy shown to the medicine cat time and time again. Each time accompanied with a sense of urgency. Perhaps it warns of the coming leaf-fall? And yet the message repeats itself time and time again, ever growing in urgency...

[TogepiIsSmol]

((RP start time: Dawn, just at the beginning of Sunup, in mid Leaf-Fall on a colder yet clear day.))
((As a small aid, the dens are all abandoned animal dens beneath a collection of scattered boulders.))

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〈 Twigstar 〉

Ragged Brown Tabby, Tom, Leader
Form › Tags: Clan Camp, Open

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The faintest glimmer of light teased the entrance of the older leaders den. It's golden light ever so slightly reflecting off the sharp crystals of frost coating the scarce plant-life there. A set of pale green eyes were all that was visible beyond that faint light, patiently observing the first hints of day for a long moment before their owner finally stirred. Uncurling his thin body and bowing forward into a long, lazy stretch Twigstar finally rose and exited the small den.

He had hardly scanned the camp before turning back toward his den and the rock it sat under and with an serious of short leaps the leader found himself overlooking not only the camp but the entire clearing it sat in, Fawn Pond included. A slightly breeze ran through his long fur as he sat there, tail carefully curled around himself, simply admiring his surroundings. 'The dawn patrol should be returning shortly, if they have not already,' thoughts of his leadership duties began to passively pass through his mind, 'and perhaps a hunting party should be put together, take advantage of such clear skies while they last...'

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〈 Cricketstripe 〉

Long-Furred Brown Tabby, Molly, Warrior
Form › Tags: Warrior's Den, Open

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The small cold bite of a breeze was all it took to rouse the young warrior from her slumber. She stirred ever so slightly, ear flicking in irritation as she tried desperately to cling onto the last moments of sleep but alas she found herself awaking. Her green eyes lazily opened to take in the cats around her for a moment before bringing herself carefully to her paws. Taking care not to step on a nearby cat Cricketstripe padded out of warriors den letting the coolness of the air flick away any remnants of sleep as took in her surroundings.

A handful of cats scattered the camp although it was clear many were still clinging onto the warmth of their dens. A glance towards the gradually brightening sky and Cricketstripe could already tell today would make a lovely day for training, that is, if should could rouse Rootpaw at such an early point of Sunup. 'Perhaps a short hunt would do while I wait,' the molly thought pleasantly to herself as she stretched just outside the warrior's den, with plans not yet finalized in her energetic mind.

[Baroness-Pets]

Rootpaw
Tricolour Molly // Apprentice // Tags: Clan Camp, Cricketstripe

Rootpaw had managed to snag herself one of the newer cleared dens after deciding to alienate herself from her parents. This one must've had a rabbit living in it, for its scent still clung to the walls and its droppings were still scattered here and there. No matter how many times she'd cleared out those pellets, the young molly kept finding more. But still, as much as she could complain about it, it was home. For now at least. When she got older she'd probably need to move into the warriors den, but this was quaint. It was dawn now, a time that as a young kit she would've already been up with boundless energy to the frustration of those around her. Now though she understood what her parents had meant when they told her she'd start to value sleep as she got older. Probably one of the only true things they'd told me She thought sleepily, stretching to her full length and rolling over onto her back. Maybe she could get away with a lie in, if Cricketsripe was in an accommodating mood.

Then again, she had to show aptitude for her training. She had to prove herself, and part of that was getting up when expected and being punctual. Besides, once she was up she'd forget the tired ache in her bones and the sleep that was crusted in her eyes. Training was fun, more fun than she'd ever been allowed to have. With a yawn that almost dislocated her jaw, Rootpaw dragged herself up onto her feet, stretching out her legs and licking the back of her paw to flatten the fur on her head. She took her time grooming herself, presentation seemed important and it was better than having her mother bathe her. She was too old for that, and she certainly didn't miss her. Nope.

Rootpaw clacked her tongue, feeling how dry her mouth was. She needed a drink. Emerging from her den, the young molly scanned the clearing and spotted her mentor a little ways off. Would she be happy that her mentee was up so early without intervention? Maybe. Rootpaw didn't have her usual energy yet, so padded slowly up to Cricketstripe. "Morning!" She chirped, still cheery enough to speak as she usually did.

Cinderstride
Brown Tabby Molly // Elder // Tags: Elders den - open

In her younger days, Cinderstride had always been one to go to bed late and rise early. It had often been the case that she'd rise with the sun and would have been awake for more hours than was probably healthy. Now though she struggled with rising early. Her advancing age made it difficult to function on small hours sleep like she used to. She hated it. Hated ageing. Hated how it seemed to diminish her somehow. She hated the pitying looks she'd get from younger cats now, how they'd coo at her when she stumbled or limped around like she was some sort of kitten. Bah. She wasn't stupid, she was the same cat just in an older body for goodness sake! Really, the nerve of some cats...

For once in her elder years though, Cinderstride had woken at dawn and made the conscious decision to stay awake. She couldn't get back to sleep with all these old cronies snoring around her in the elder's den anyway. But she found that her leg had gone numb after sleeping on top of it, and she fell over after trying to get up. She thrashed around like an upturned tortoise on her back, trying to haul herself up.

[∂αмє υмвяα]

Sable| Male| Loner| 23 Moons| Location; Deep Forest- Traveling Towards Clan Territory | tags; open
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The loner woke up as the sun streamed through the tree line and made its way through the old rotten tree stump that he declared his temporary home. He would have to find a warmer home before the season changed, as prey would soon become scarce. A hard time would soon be settling in. Stretching, Sable gave himself a few licks as a way of maintaining his fur before he started out his day. It was his favorite time of the day of course, for he got to hunt breakfast and he was a excellent tracker. Though he was more experienced in tracking prey in the forest setting, he was prone to failing when there was snow on the ground. And there was soon to be snow soon in the coming months. A black furred cat stood out amongst the white ground, doesn’t it?

Making his way out of the thick forest, he came across the lake that separated the forest from the other side of the river bank. The black Tom muttered to himself as he realized he’s gonna have to cross the gentle shallow stream, but for food? He’s willing to do it. It’s just water after all. Shaking himself dry, he crouched down and opened his mouth to detect any scents of prey, some scents were faint, but then a recent scent flooded his nose and then he was on the hunt, going further into another territory that didn’t belong to him for his breakfast.
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Icetail|Tom | Warrior |35 Moons | Location; Clan Camp| tags; open
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The blue colored tom was curled up in his nest, searching for any warmth that was nowhere to be found on a cold leaf-bare morning. Though he wouldn’t be staying in this nest for long, for the sun was ever so annoying and was poking through the entrance of the den he slept in. Icetail was grumpy in the mornings, and rightfully so— he didn’t understand how cats could be up at the crack of dawn for a morning patrol everyday, but he pushed through it. He preferred to be on the night patrol as he just seemed to be more active during that time. Yawning, and giving himself a quick stretch, he padded out to the center of the clan camps clearing. He shivered on exiting the den.

”Soon it shall turn into leaf-bare…prey will be scarce, and cats will get sick. Lets hope that if cats get sick, it doesn’t spread and gets contained quickly…” He said to himself as he padded to the fresh kill pile. He noticed that it was looking a little thin on fresh kill— he’ll go out hunting when he has his fill for food.
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[rybka]

★BRIARSTRIDE⏵cause i'm so strong, i wish
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◄40 moons｜fluffy light brown tabby molly｜warrior｜clan camp｜tagged; Icetail, open ►

indentationBriarstride had led the dawn patrol that day - someone had to, after all. She'd expected the outing to be energizing and set a productive mood for the rest of her her day, but as she slipped back through the camp entrance with heavy pawsteps and a yawn threatening to pass her lips, the molly had to admit that that wasn't exactly the case. Well, that was just the price she paid for following Cinderstride's old lifestyle; what with taking on responsibilities early in the morning and sharing tongues late in the night, Briarstride rarely got enough sleep. Not that she minded. There never seemed to be much going on during the dawn patrol, so it served as an opportunity to enjoy some pretty views and gather her thoughts.

The warriors who had accompanied Briarstride's patrol dispersed into the camp, some heading determinedly back to their nests. Briar was a little tempted to do the same, but she resisted the sleepiness and went to pick something from the freshkill pile instead. As she stepped next to Icetail, she brushed his shoulder with her tail in greeting. She and the tom had been apprentices at the same time for a while, so he was familiar company, and she guessed from his posture that something might be worrying him. She wouldn't pry, though. "Heya, Icetail." She meowed, pulling a little quail out and settling down. "Morning treating you okay?"

★RIBKA⏵no, i'm not as proper, my money's in copper
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◄10 moons｜grey-blue tabby tom｜loner｜outer forest｜tagged; open ►

indentationRibka was asleep, thank you very much. It was dawn, for StarClan's sake. While of course there were some occasions when the loner would be up at this hour, they were few and far between. Not much of what Ribka did could be classified as typical adolescent behavior, but preferring to sleep well into the day was on the list. Living on your own was rough, but hey, at least he was under no obligation to carry out tasks this early.

The little guy's paws occasionally, rustling the leaves he was nestled in. In his dreams, he was a great hunter, swimming after the biggest, meanest fish in the river!

//sorry for the short post for him ahaha, my boy just isn't a morning person :)

[TogepiIsSmol]

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〈 Twigstar 〉

Ragged Brown Tabby, Tom, Leader
Form › Tags: Clan Camp, Open

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For a long while the leader sat content to simply observe the happenings of the clan below, his soft breath and occasional twitch of an ear the only movement seen in him during this time. He admired how far the clan had come in his many moons, their strength and numbers steadily growing. That admiration must have shown clearly in his eyes for a long moment before he finally stirred once more, raising himself to his paws and gingerly making his way back down to the ground below.

Twigstar's motivations were simple, a bite to eat from the fresh kill pile to subside the emptiness in his gut. As he approached the fresh kill pile Twigstar's tail flicked in mild agitation as he thoughtfully took in the rather sparse collection of food. Was this all they had really managed to gather? Sure the prey was becoming more sparse this time of year but Twigstar's concern was ever so present as he picked a squirrel from the pile, it's larger size more than he himself would need but feeding just himself was not the intent.

Squirrel in maw Twigstar turned and padded towards the elder's den. Many of those he had been a warrior alongside now resided their and in this time of scarcity Twigstar found himself craving their shared wisdom. Perhaps they would be able to ease his worries. Upon his approach, however, the sound of rather aggressive movement caused his ears to flick forward intently and it did not take long for him to catch a glance of the source. Cinderstride, it seemed, has found herself in a rather amusing predicament although the older leader dare not even chuckle at such a scene as it was clear the elder molly was in distress.

Placing the meal just outside the den to clear his mouth the quiet voice of Twigstar could now clearly be heard by those awake within, "Good morning, may I be of some assistance perhaps?"

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〈 Cricketstripe 〉

Long-Furred Brown Tabby, Molly, Warrior
Form › Tags: Clan Camp, Rootpaw

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Her ears perk at the familiar chirp of a voice and as Cricketstripe straightened she could now clearly see it's owner. "Good morning to you as well, Rootpaw. Curious to see an apprentice rise so early without so much as a prompting." The young warriors approval simply glowed in her green eyes as she took in the well groomed and cheerful apprentice before her, "Why... If you don't remind me of myself at your age at times like this. Awake and eager to train." Memories of when the sheltered kit had been assigned to her as an apprentice flooded Cricketstripe, it had been a lot for them both at the start... Both mentor and mentee had had their struggles but seeing how far from that starting point they were now simply had Cricketstripe bubbling with glee.

Her once abstract and chaotic thoughts found themselves finally settling into a set of structured plans for the day. Perhaps a longer trek was in order today... It had been a while since she had been out towards White Rock River and the territory their and the forest of that area is plentiful in more difficult prey. A good test of skill for the apprentice and some refreshing activity for Cricketstripe herself... It must have appeared the molly was lost in her thoughts for a moment as she considered the apprentice before her. Surely she was ready to go to that area in a pair rather than a larger group. "Perhaps..." The molly finally spoke, "perhaps you would enjoy a longer trek this morning? Taking advantage of such clear weather."

[Queen of flames]

Thistlesea // tom // medicine cat // apprentice - open // crush - open // tags - open

// He had a very restless night, for some reason he just could get any sleep, probably the evening rabbit was too much for him. He started to organize his herb storages a long time before the first cat woke up, now he was done everything and just sat down to enjoy the morning. He looked around the clearing for the all woke up cats here and there, flicking his ears awkwardly when his own stomach growled so loud that he almost thought that the whole camp could hear it.
Thinking for a moment, he finally stood up and walked to the fresh-kill pile to check if there was anything for him to eat. As a medicine cat, he didn't need to hear or experience all the derogatory glances, he could have as a warrior or especially an apprentice who eat before hunting. There was not much prey in pile, but enough for him, probably the elders if they wanted any, but he thought they were waiting for a fresher prey. //
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Bluefrost// she // warrior // apprentice - open // crush -open // tags - open

// She was out with the morning patrol, checking the borders was never being her favorite thing to do, but for the clan's safety, it much to be done regularly. She flicked her tail as she reminded herself about all the places she saw plenty of prey being gathering, which was good as the cold weather comes quickly and finding enough prey will become more difficult.
Unlike the other cats at her patrol, which took their way back to camp, she moved toward the small brook there to drink. Her whiskers flicked as she enjoyed the sunlight which warmed her pelt even if the wind was already pretty cold. She looked around for a short while, the day was beautiful, but the upcoming leaf-bare sure made her a little worried, especially when she almost lost her whole family earlier, at this same season. //
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Whitepaw // tom // apprentice// mentor - Icetail // crush - open // tags - open

// He stayed at his warm nest longer than he maybe could, knowing that his mentor was probably already up, but hoped that he could have something else to do than just wait for him. The cold weather, just made it, even more, harder to leave the den, but then he could starver to death as nobody could be that kind or just stupid to bring him some prey there and let him stay, without doing anything. Sighing he looked at the den entrance for a while, hearing some faint conversations coming outside of it, but did not find out what was being said there. Not like he even was interested to know, as long they didn't talk about him.
Stretching his legs he decided to get out of the warm den and start the day, he can always take some naps later on maybe if Icetail was not planned for something big for him. //
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Zaeru // she // kittypet-loner // crush - open // tags - open

// The young multicolored she-cat wandered around the woods, looking for prey to catch. She didn't have much luck in the evening and got to sleep with an empty stomach, so now she hoped for one big breakfast, maybe a hare or two. Though she didn't have any knowledge about catching hares, even if she was met one a few days ago, but again it didn't get well, but she did catch a few mice to feed herself.
She flicked her ears toward the voices and sniffed the air for any danger or anything which could be there waiting for her. Lowering herself near to a bush, when she noticed two birds down the tree eating some seeds or whatever was onto the ground. //

[∂αмє υмвяα]

Sable| Male| Loner| 23 Moons| Location; Clan Territory | tags; open
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The black Tom crept closer towards his mark, with light paw steps with his every move. He stopped for a second to not alert his prey. Sable was able to track down a relatively plump song-bird despite the cold conditions that affected everyone. Regardless, he won’t take this boon of a meal for granted. The bird couldn’t see the black tom for he was hidden deep with some story bracken and shrubs that littered the grounds.

With a burst of speed, Sable lept out of his hidden spot and pounced onto the bird in front of him, and with a flourish ended the birds life quickly. He spent the next few minutes eating his recent catch, the only things that remained where feathers that the bird lost from the initial shock and the small bones from its carcass.
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Icetail|Tom | Warrior |35 Moons | Location; Clan Camp| tags; Briarstride
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He was about to take a bite of his prey, when Briarstride come from the morning patrol. ”Other then the cold winds blowing, and worrying about the coming leaf-bare, my morning is alright. How’d the patrol go?” The other Tom asked the she-cat. Icetail continued on eating his choice of prey while waiting for her response.

Seeing that the fresh-kill pile was thin, he only grew worried about the coming leaf-bare, a serious of what if scenarios grew in his mind each worse then then the last. But the most worrying one that was in his mind was what if Twigstar lost his lives during a green cough outbreak? And if that green cough turned into white cough? They’d be leaderless, as they don’t have a current deputy. Speaking of which, Twigstar needed to appoint a deputy at some point, he needed to have a second to at least shoulder some duties.

The blue colored tom suddenly lost his appetite at his depressing thoughts and couldn’t bring himself to eat the rest of his meal.
”The fresh-kill pile is looking thin. I was thinking if you’d like to join me and Whitepaw out on a hunting party? So that Cinderstripe doesn’t have to eat days old prey.” Icetail said as he stood up to go get his apprentice.
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[Baroness-Pets]

Rootpaw
Tricolour Molly // Apprentice // Tags: Clan Camp, Cricketstripe

Rootpaw held her head high when receiving praise from her mentor, knowing that getting up super early had been worth it. The camp was so different at dawn compared to the middle of the day, a simple change in time and light seeming to alter the space entirely. Birdsong could be heard in the trees much more prominently at this hour, which in truth could get very annoying very quickly if one didn't learn how to block it out. "I try my best!" She exclaimed gleefully, a soft purr escaping her when she was compared to a younger Cricketstripe. The young cat owed a large part of who she was today and the molly she was becoming thanks to her mentor. Had she continued to subscribe to her parents ideals, she would've eventually gone mad, or become some weird friendless hermit, too scared of the outside world. Maybe they had meant well, but nobody could keep a young cat cooped up forever. Now in fact the opposite effect had been had, as Rootpaw found herself to be quite fearless. Such a trait could be a detriment to her beyond the camp, one had to learn when to run from danger and when to confront it.

A longer trek sounded very fun, and if Cricketstripe thought she was ready for it then Rootpaw was ready to dive in head first. "Oh, yes please!" She replied excitedly, feeling more energetic now. What a great way to clear out the last groggy bits of morning from her head. Rootpaw hopped from one paw to another, both out of excitement and to warm herself up with the crisp chill that hung in the air. "Where are we going?" She asked, it had to be pretty exciting if it was further away than normal. Gosh, maybe they'd even see loners so far out! Rootpaw had heard of these types of cats, but had never seen one up close before. Her father had described them as huge scary cats, littered with scars and with claws like razors. So that probably meant they were nothing of the sort.

Cinderstride
Brown Tabby Molly // Elder // Tags: Elders den, Twigstar

After a few fruitless tries of rolling over, Cinderstride yowled at herself in frustration, which drew quite a few snorts from the other elders in the den who were woken up by her commotion. Realising the thrashing wasn't working, the elderly molly stopped herself and rolled over onto her side, just as she heard a voice offering its assistance. About to tell the Tom to stick his help where the sun didn't shine, she looked up just in time to realise that it was none other than Twigstar himself. Even a cranky old cat like Cinderstride had a deep appreciation and respect for the clan's leader. Why, she'd practically grown up alongside him and most of the old bats in here who'd managed to survive. Clearing her throat, Cinderstride spoke, managing to flip herself back onto her belly. "I'm fine, thank you."

She demonstrated this by managing to shakily push herself onto her feet at last, her bones audibly clicking and crunching as she did so. The scent of squirrel twisted and turned its way towards Cinderstride, which seemed an odd meal for a leader "Nothin' better than squirrel on the pile, even for you huh?" Her sense of smell was probably one of the only senses she'd managed to keep fully intact. If a squirrel was the best the hunters could do, they were all doomed. Cinderstride tried to weave her way out of the den, but her failing eyesight meant that quite a few tails and paws were stepped on on her way out.

"Starclan's kits it's cold out here!" She exclaimed when outside, shaking herself to shoo the chill away.

[rybka]

★BRIARSTRIDE⏵cause i'm so strong, i wish
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◄40 moons｜fluffy light brown tabby molly｜warrior｜clan camp｜tagged; Icetail, open ►

indentationBriarstride nodded sympathetically in response to Icetail's concerns. Late leaf-fall was always marked with dread - what hardships, what tragedy would leaf-bare bring this time? "You're not alone in worrying about leaf-bare, that's for sure. I suppose all we can do is take it a day at a time, and we'll get through it, one way or another." They weren't quite words of comfort, but that's just the way it was. One couldn't guarantee how the colder season would go, but they were going to face it as a Clan. That, at least, was a fact.

She flicked an indifferent ear at the mention of the morning patrol. "Ah, it was fine. Not much to report. But no news is good news." StarClan forbid they'd picked up the scent of coyotes or worse nearby. As much as she had faith in ValleyClan, they simply were not in a position to deal with something like that at this time. A sigh escaped the molly as she noticed Icetail leaving his meal unfinished. It hurt to see friends worried, especially when there was nothing to do but stick it out.

In the near distance, dear old Cinderstride complained about the cold, causing Briarstride to let out a little amused chuckle. Grumpy though the elder may be, she was certainly a staple of Clan life, Briar hoped the best for her. Icetail must have been thinking the same; his proposition of a patrol brought Briar's attention back to him, and she nodded eagerly after finishing the last few gulps of her meal. "Yeah, let's do it."

★RIBKA⏵no, i'm not as proper, my money's in copper
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◄10 moons｜grey-blue tabby tom｜loner｜outer forest｜tagged; open ►

indentationRibka fought with sleep for a little while more. The brightening surroundings served as a nagging reminder that he was supposed to start his day already, but he was comfy... His stubborn attempts to drift back to sleep just resulted in repetitive short dreams of hunting various prey, and, finally, he gave up. If he's going to go through all the work of hunting, might as well target something he's actually going to be able to eat, right? Right. The tomcat rolled out of his makeshift nest and sprang to his feet in a purposefully dramatic motion, for it was important to start your day with enthusiasm.

Now, the true question, where was he going to go? Puffing out his fur in a (mostly futile) attempt to escape the cold, Ribka closed his eyes and tasted the air for prey scents. He didn't find much, spare birds, which were a bit of a lost cause for him. And they knew it! They wouldn't be singing so carefreely so near to him if they didn't know just how awful the loner was at catching them. What audacity, he thought, lashing his tail in irritation. One day he'd show them. Anyway... Evidently there wasn't (catchable) prey in his area, and he did not have any concrete plans, so the best thing to do would be to pick a direction, go there, and hope for the best!